In economically gut-wrenching times, the politics of fear all too easily works to thwart progress toward sustainability. When people face intense economic difficulty, they are less inclined to support measures that may bring new uncertainties. The United States–and other societies–need to couple environmental strategies with social policies, and aim for greater economic democracy.

When people think about the emerging green economy, the vision is typically one of leaving behind the old dirty industries in favor of new landscapes dotted with gleaming “clean” factories. Sometimes, however, there is really no leaving behind old sites, but rather a redevelopment and conversion of them. In the United States, such sites could eventually help produce enough renewable energy to satisfy the country’s current electricity consumption.

A strategy for sustainability that is driven primarily by market signals can quickly translate into hardship. In the United States, wages have largely stagnated during the past quarter century. If people don’t have to worry about making ends meet they will be more likely to accept that prices should tell the ecological truth.